00 NORTH AMEUrCAX lURDS. 



(hat of tlio Kastcrn spocics. Ho clcscvibos it as a curious pcrforniance, sound- 

 iii,t^' as il' two l)ir(Is were siiit,niii;' at once and in difleront keys. 



^lany of this s])eci('s n'niain in Wasiiington Territory during the winter, 

 where Dr. Cooper ni(!t with tiiem in December. They associated in Hocks, 

 frei^uented roadsides antl fences, and led ui)on insects and hemes. 



Dr. ( ianihel f(jund this species tin'oughout the Iiocky AFountains, and always 

 in company willi the l^lii/ia (irrtini, being l)y far tlio more uliundant species. 



Dr. Kennerly mentions tinihng tliis .species very abundant during liis 

 march u]) the Jfio Orande. Through tlie moiitlis of Xoveudier, December, 

 and January they were always to be seen in laige Hocks near small streams. 



Tiie West"rn lUuebird constructs a ne.'-t usually of very loose materials, 

 consisting chiefly of line dry gra.sses. The.se are notMoven into an elaborate 

 nest, but are sim]ily used to lim; the hollows in which the eggs are deposited. 

 Near San Frauci.sco ^Ir. Hepburn found a pair making use of tlie nest of the 

 Hirunilo linii/roiiK On another occasion the liluebirds had not only taken 

 possession of the nest of this swallow, but actually covered up two fresh eggs 

 with a lining of dry grasses, iind laid iier own above tliem. 



The eggs, usually four in nund)er, are of uniform jiale blue of a slightly 

 deeper shade tiian that of the *S'. sialis. They measure .H7 of an inch in 

 length by .(19 in breadth. 



Dr. Coojier's sulisei[uent o1)sorvations of this species in f'alifornia enabled 

 him to add to his account of it in his rejiort on the birds of that State. He 

 found it abundant in all tiie wooded di.stricts, except high ii tiie mountains, 

 and thinks they reside through tiie sunnner even in the hot valley of the l{io 

 Clrande, where he found them ])reparing a nest in February. On the coast 

 they are numerous as far nortli as the 41llli i>arallel. He found a nest under 

 the porch of a dwelling-house at Santa Barbara, showing that, like our Eastern 

 R])ecie.s, they only need a little encouragement to become half domesticated. 

 Tliey raise two broods in a season, the lirst being hatched early in April. 



At Santa ( 'ruz he found tiiem even more con tiding tiian the Kastern species, 

 Iniilding their nests even in the noisiest streets. One brood came every day 

 during the grape sea.son, at about noon, to ]»ick up grape-skins tlirown out 

 by his door, and was delightfully tame, sitting fearlessly within a few feet of 

 the oi)en window. 



In regard to tlicir song Mr. ilidgway states that he did not hear, even 

 (hiring the pairing season, any note approaciiing in sweetness, or indeed 

 similar to, tlie joyous spring warble which .justly renders our Kaslern lUue- 

 bird (S. sill/is) so universal a favorite. 



The two Western species of Sin/in, though ns.soeiatiiig during the winter 

 in the region along the (Mistern base of the Sierra Xexadii, are seldom seen 

 together during the Itreeiling-.season ; ihiiS.(irrfir(t returning to the hight^r 

 jKHtioiis of tiie thinly wooded desert mountains, while tlit! .S'. iiir.n'iitiiii re- 

 mains in the lower districts, either among the eottonwood.s of the river 

 valleys or among the pines anniiid the fuot-iiills of the Sierra. 



